


Little Boom Boom

by Qzeebrella



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-18
Updated: 2012-05-18
Packaged: 2017-11-05 14:30:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/407503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qzeebrella/pseuds/Qzeebrella
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An explanation as to why Malcolm likes to be called Stinky.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little Boom Boom

Mary Reed had always been rather reserved, showing very little emotion and even less affection toward her children when out in public, but Malcolm had always known she loved him. After all, any time she called to him while he was outside she would call out, "Little Boom Boom, it's time to come in." And if, like most little boys he said, "But, mum, just a few more minutes!" Well Mary Reed would say, "Now Little Boom Boom!" And Malcolm would go running inside.

If Malcolm was really, really lucky, well then his mother would smile at him. His mother had a beautiful smile that lit up her face and since she didn't smile very often you noticed when she did. The best ever kind of day had mother coming to him wherever he was, giving him a smile and saying, "I'm proud of you Stinky." Never "I love you," but Malcolm knew that was what she meant.

Being called Stinky made him feel happy and warm all over. His mother would say, in a teasing voice, "hello Stinky," and then kiss him on the forehead. There was nothing better than being called Stinky, for when you were called Stinky that meant you were loved.

Malcolm knew that his mother also loved his sister Madeline very much. Mary would call out to her, "Come Maddy, it's time for dinner." Or ask, "Maddy what did you do today?" Though Malcolm had noticed that Maddy got more of mum's kisses and a lot more of her smiles, he didn't mind. After all, he knew Maddy was a very special young lady and very loveable while he was just Malcolm. Maddy deserved to be smiled at more often, given more kisses on the forehead and even kisses on the cheek, like he never got. Even he would show Maddy he loved her by smiling at her every day, kissing her on the cheek every day and sometimes even hugging her.

On the very rare times Madeline had done something bad, Mary would frown at her. "Lin! What do you think you were doing?" Their mother would reprimand. He and Maddy both knew that Madeline would do anything to prevent their mother from calling her Lin. For she hated being called Lin and Malcolm hated when his mother called Madeline Lin. For when Mary called her Lin, Malcolm would be given a smack on the bum and sent up to his room without supper.

Now Madeline would protest this, saying that if anyone should be punished when she did something bad it should be her. But Mary had never listened, insisting, "Maddy—LIN if you've done something bad it is HIS fault for letting you do it. He's your older brother and should know better than to let you do it. And that is that. One more word and he'll have to stay up there until it's time for school." And Madeline would be as quiet as possible the rest of the night, and Malcolm knew it was because she didn't want to risk him going without breakfast too.

When Malcolm started school, Mary had started to call him "Malcolm" instead of Little Boom Boom." He sort of missed being called Little Boom Boom, but was willing to put up with being called Malcolm as long as his mother still called him "Stinky" every so often. For being called Stinky reminded him that he was loved, that he was loveable. He detested when his mother called him "Mal" though, for she said "Mal" with a twist to her lips as if having tasted something fowl. Then she'd grab his hair and pull it sharply and push him away. When that happened, he'd run and hide until he heard Mary calling out "Malcolm" instead of "Mal."

Like all little boys do, he grew up into a man. Most of the time he thought he was a good man, he did his best to work as hard as possible and he ate all of his vegetables before going to bed. He was nearly certain he was honourable, that if he just kept to himself and showed as little emotion as possible, that no one would bother him. It had worked too, for awhile.

But then, others would notice him and start talking to him. They would try to get him to talk about himself and he would, but then they would start wanting more. They would start asking him to talk about what it was like growing up, or what hobbies he liked, or what sports he liked to play or watch, and he would be left with nothing to say. For he knew how people reacted when he told them just what it was like for him growing up. They'd look at him appalled and would start trying to tell him that the way his mother treated him wasn't right. Yet Malcolm knew that his mother had at least loved him, had at least not been like his father who treated him with indifference. He KNEW his mother had loved him, after all she did smile at him occasionally and call him Stinky. If that wasn't love, what was?

As for hobbies, people looked at him as if he was insane if he told them what they really were. It wasn't that odd to go around exploding garden sheds, was it? Malcolm also knew how people looked at him if he told him his favourite physical activities were gymnastics and ballet. When he had told his father about his favourite activities, his father had been appalled and called him a sissy. Most men seemed to think that Malcolm's preferring gymnastics and ballet over Rugby meant that he MUST be a sissy. But Malcolm wasn't a sissy, at least he didn't think he was. After all he liked gymnastics and ballet because they were very precise and you had to work very hard at both to be any good at them. They helped him focus and his being good at both had given him an advantage when learning hand to hand combat. His instructors had been very surprised at how high he could jump, how much power he had in his arms and legs, and at how he was able to find his centre of balance so easily. He had been able to do all of that because of his favourite hobbies, but he didn't explain that to his instructors. For he was sure if he had told them he really liked gymnastics and ballet they would think he was a sissy and would block him from becoming an armoury officer. After all, you just couldn't have a sissy for an armoury officer.

It had been the same on Enterprise, his crewmates letting him keep his distance at first and then pestering him over and over again for details of his life that he didn't want to share. Yet, being on Enterprise was the best thing to have ever happened to him. After all, it was there he had been able to prove through hard work that he was an asset to the ship and the service. He had also been able to watch T'Pol who was a lot like his mother. So very reserved, such tight control of her emotions, and he had started being as good a man as he could in the hopes she would smile at him just once and call him Stinky.

It was never to be though, except for in a dream where it didn't really count. And Malcolm had been very depressed for a while, worried that no one would ever find him loveable again. Then the whole crew had to go camp out in the Catwalk and Commander Tucker had nearly forgotten to install toilets and had forgotten to provide showering facilities. Malcolm had been a bit testy when complaining to his friend, one of the few he had over the years, yet he felt he had good cause. After all the man had nearly forgotten the obvious and had not even thought to put in a few showers. Yet the lack of showers had been the best thing to happen for Malcolm in a long time, though he hadn't known it at first. For on the last day they were on the Catwalk Hoshi had turned to him and wrinkled her nose at him. "You know, I like you Stinky, but I don't like you THAT much." And then she had kissed him on his nose.

That had made everything that had happened in his life worthwhile. A beautiful woman loved him. And not just any beautiful woman, but Hoshi who was also very intelligent and getting pretty good at handling a gun. Malcolm held Hoshi's obvious love to his heart and rejoiced. Now, it was true that Hoshi didn't call him Stinky very often, but she smiled at him every day. In fact, Malcolm knew that Hoshi loved him with all her heart, after all she kissed his cheek about once a week after and you don't do that unless you love someone.

After awhile he even confided to her that he really liked gymnastics and ballet, having decided that the woman who loved him needed to know that sort of thing about him. And she hadn't even laughed at him or teased him about it, she had just smiled and invited him to watch Carmen with her in her quarters. And that night, just before he left, she kissed him on the lips. "Have a good night Malcolm."

"Call me Stinky." He grinned at her, "but only when we're alone."

"Okay Stinky," she said, wrinkling her nose at him and kissed him again. "I'll see you tomorrow."

That night was one of the happiest night Malcolm could remember. Hoshi loved him and accepted all he was. She smiled at him every day and gave him kisses. And she called him Stinky. What could be better?


End file.
